Roughriders bounce back from loss, face Maple Woods for Region 16 title

Sunday

May 12, 2013 at 12:20 AMMay 12, 2013 at 12:21 AM

The Crowder Roughriders hope for a repeat of Saturday today. If they do that, they’re Region 16 champions.

Levi Payton

The Crowder Roughriders hope for a repeat of Saturday today. If they do that, they’re Region 16 champions.

After falling to Maple Woods 11-9 on Friday, the Roughriders found themselves with their backs against the wall and having to climb back from the losers side of the bracket to make it to the Region 16 championship. They did that with an 11-3 victory over Mineral Area. Now they’re headed the Region 16 final with all things equal after avenging Friday’s loss with a 16-8 drubbing of the Monarchs on Saturday in the double elimination tournament.

Against Maple Woods on Saturday the Roughriders jumped out to a commanding 10-3 lead in the fifth before the Monarchs made a push with three runs behind two Crowder errors in the fifth. That made it 10-6 and single runs in the sixth and seventh made it 10-8.

Crowder skipper Travis Lallemand summoned reliever Andrew Schwaab for a two-inning save opportunity in the eighth and he shut the Monarchs down with two strikeouts in the frame. The Roughriders (47-12) then went on a tear, plating six runs in the top of the ninth.

Sam May led off the inning with a walk, Tyler McKinzie reached safely on a bunt and Cody Althouse singled to load the bases with no outs. Chris Scroggins lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score pinch runner Ashton Roberts to make it 11-8. Tony Sandifer then reached on a fielder’s choice to make it 12-8 and Matt Burgess unloaded a double off reliever Joe Virgin to score Sandifer and make it 13-8.

Ty White reached on an error to plate Burgess, before C.J. Webster, Lucas Feddersen and Roberts unloaded consecutive singles to make it 16-8.

Freshman southpaw Cody Jones nailed down the victory on the mound as he allowed seven runs, but only four earned, on 11 hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Jake Barnes, Trey Watson and Schwaab worked in relief.

Pick a Roughrider and he probably had a good day at the plate. They battered Monarchs pitching by compiling 20 hits in the game, as Althouse, Burgess and Webster slugged three hits apiece. Scroggins, White and Feddersen had two hits each, while Roberts, McKinzie, May, Sandifer and Ryan Lazo had a hit each. Scroggins had three RBIs, while Sandifer, Lazo and Althouse had two. Burgess and Webster scored three times.

That barrage gave the Roughriders 34 hits on the day, as they slugged 14 in their eight-inning win over Mineral Area.

In that one the Roughriders scored five runs in the first off starter Devon Hampton before adding two in the second and two more in the third to jump ahead 9-1 after three innings. That’s the only help starter Preston Tarkington would need as the sophomore righthander allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, six strikeouts and no walks while earning the win.

Sandifer led the team with three hits, two RBIs and a run scored, while Scroggins, White, Webster and Feddersen had two knocks each. May and Althouse both had a hit, while Feddersen and Burgess both had two RBIs.

Crowder plays Maple Woods at 1 p.m. today in a winner-take-all for the Region 16 championship.